« We are members of each other » Ephesians 4:25
From communities on the Net to human communities
The theme emphasizes the importance of re-establishing communication in a broad, person-based perspective and emphasizes the value of interaction, always understood as dialogue and an opportunity to meet others.
This call for reflection on the current state and nature of relationships on the Internet, starting from the idea that the community resembles a network of people in their entirety. Some of the dominant trends in these social networks, as they are called, raise a fundamental question: to what extent can we talk about real communities in the face of the logics that characterize communities on social networks? On the Web, the metaphor of the network as a community of solidarity implies the construction of a “we” based on listening to others, dialogue and consequently the responsible use of language.
In his first message for World Social Communications Day in 2014, the Holy Father called for the Internet to be a place rich in humanity, not a network made of cables but of human beings.
The choice for the theme of the 2019 message confirms Pope Francis’ attention to the new communication environment, especially social networks, on which the Pope is personally present through his Twitter @Pontifex account or on Instagram @Franciscus.
Download here the Pope Francis’ message for World Social Communications Day 2019.